Coin chute



NW @wxga E. C. GRM@ M3533@ COIN CHUTE Filed July 29, 1937 INVENTOR.

\ f BY HIS AQTQRNEY.

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 com CHUTE Bernhard C. Grunig, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,305

6 Claims.

This invention pertains to a coin chute and to of the embodimenthereinafter to be described fraud prevention means effective to preventthe operation of the slide by deposit therein of two or more tokens, theaggregate thickness of which is substantially equal to the thickness ofa proper com.

More specically stated, it is an object of the invention to provide acoin chute of the type having a mounting plate on which is formed alateral sleeve for the reception of a coin slide having a coin aperturetherein, the bottom of the sleeve or guide providing a bottom for thecoin aperture to permit transposition of a coin in the coin pocket fromone side of the mounting plate to the other by movement ofthe slide,there being a discharge opening in the sleeve or guide portion withwhich the coin pocket or aperture registers when the slide reaches apredetermined position, thus permitting the coin to gravitate out of thecoin aperture in the slide through the discharge opening in the frame.

A further object is the provision in a coin chute structure of the typejust characterized in which body portions of the slide on the peripheraledge of the coin pocket therein are punched or eX- truded or crimped ina manner to provide projections into the coin aperture and which areadapted to permit a coin of predetermined thickness to rest in thepocket for free transport by the slide toward the discharge opening, andwhich are effective to raise the edge of the coin resting in theaperture a distance suicient to permit the proper coin to be transportedas aforesaid; but when two thin tokens or shims are placed in theaperture, the arrangement is such that the edge of the uppermost tokenwill project and bear against an abutment to prevent movement of theslide.

Yet another object is the provision in a coin chute of the classdescribed of a thin coin slide having a substantially circular aperturecut therethrough and providing a coin pocket, said slide having marginaledge portions deformed to provide an inward projection dimensioned topermit a coin of predetermined thickness to rest in the pocketsubstantially Within the plane of the slide for free transport by thelatter, the edge of the coin in the pocket, nevertheless, being tiltedan amount adequate to cause the edge of a second coin or token placedupon the iirst to extend beyond the plane of the slide to bear againstthe chute structure in a manner to prevent operation of the slide. f

Other novel aspects of the invention reside in particular features ofconstruction and operation and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the improved coin chute;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical section illustrating theoperation of one form of the fraud preventive means;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. v3, but showing the operation of amodied form of slide;

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the form of slide shown in Fig.4; whileV Fig. 6 isa vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 butshowing the slide operated by a pair of shims, there being no fraudpreventive means.

One form of a coin chute illustrative of the invention is shown in Fig.l and includes a frame constituting a guide and comprising a verticalmounting plate I0 having a transverse sleeve portion including front andback sections II and I2. A slide I3 of substantially planar form isseated in the sleeve portion and is reciprocable therein for the purposeof positioning a coin pocket I4 therein on either side of the mountingplate I0 to transport a coin from the front section II to the backsection I2. v

As seen in Fig. l, the slide I3 is in its normal coin depositingposition, and the front sleeve secr" tion II is out away as at I5 toexpose the pocket I4, the opposite inner surface ofthe entire sleeveformation constituting a bottom for the coin pocket I4 so that when acoin is deposited in the latter and the slide moved, the coin will betransported and will glide over said bottom portion.

As seen in Fig. 2, there is provided a dropout opening I 6 in the frontsleeve section II in a position for registration with the coin pocket I4in the slide when the latter is in its normal coin receiving position.The diameter of the drop-out opening I6 is slightly smaller than that ofthe coin pocket, so that a token or coin of less than a predeterminedand necessary diameter to fit in the pocket I4, will drop through theopening I6.

The rearward sleeve section I2 has a substantially solid upper surfaceIl upon which is mounted a dog I8 by means of a pin I9 extending into anintegral boss 20'; a coil spring is pivotally mounted between its endson the pin I9 and has a bent free end portion 2| engageable with the dogI8 and an opposite end portion 22 bearing against the surface I'I of therear section. There is provided an elongated slot 23 through which thenose portion of the dog I8 may pass under urgence of the spring 2I, andon the opposite or bottom surface of the rear section I2 there isprovided an irregularly shaped opening 24 (see also Fig. 2) into whichthe nose of the dog I8 may pass under certain conditions.

Spaced rearwardly (to the right) of the irregular drop-out opening 24 onthe bottom surface of section I2, is a discharge opening 25. Therighthand portion of the upper wallor surface :I1 of the inner sleeveportion I2 is out laway/as at 26 to expose a portion of the dischargeopening 25,

there being, however, an edge portion 2l of theA section I'I overlyingthe discharge opening 25 ffor purposes which will hereinafter appear.Mounted by suitable means such as thewasllrer-Z-and screw 29, threadedinto the frame section .I2, is a horseshoe magnet 30 having yits poles'3| confronting the rearward edge 21 of the sleeve-portion Il andsubstantially overlyingthe discharge opening '25 so as'to attract a*para'magnetic coin element therein and prevent the sameffrom fallingthrough the discharge opening.

Communicating between "the 'front andV -rear sections II and I2 throughthe mounting y.plate I is a small channel'32 in which rides a dependingboss 33 stamped into the slide I3, andfthis channel'32continues"intoboth 'f thedrop-out openings I6 and"24 (Fig. 2). p

Mounted on the rearward side of lthe vertical mountingv plate Il)between-.opposite vertically extensive mounting'bosses34'is acombination slide stop and reject apron having an vinclined portion 35for the .purpose of 'directing rejected tokens passing through thereardischarge opening'24, the apron also having a vertical portion 36 whichfits flushagainst the inner surface of the mounting plate'IO and whichis provided with an upwardly extending ear or lug 3l which projects intothe channel32 vand provides an abutment against which the ,depending ear"33 on slide I3 may bear to limit'the Voutward movement of the slide.

It willbe observed inFig. YZ'that when the slide is in the normalposition'there shown, the nose of the dog I8 rests upon the rearwardupper surface portion of slide I3 adjacent the stopping lug .33, thedog'pbeing in raised position against the tension f the spring '2I."There is provided in the slide "I3 an elongated slot'f38 extendingradially awayV from the edge ofthe coin pocket I4 opposite the dog I8. n

Thus, when a token such as a washer having a central opening isdeposited in ythe pocket I4 and the slide is, pushed in, spring'ZI willurge the nose of the dog into the perforate portion of the token orwasher and prevent further rearward movement of the slide. Should thecoin or token be a proper one, that'is not perforate, the slide may bemoved inwardly its full stroke and when the left-hand edge of the coinin pocket I4 has passed the nose of dog I8, thelatter will be urged byits spring'ZI into the elongated slot 38, thus permitting lfull strokemovement of the slide so that the coin in pocket VvI4 will be positionedover the discharge opening`25 and gravitate through the latter tooperate somedesired instrumentality.

There is a method by which slides of this-.type

Vmay be defrauded and which includes the `deor shims being Vsufficientto operate the instrumentality if it can be passed through the dischargeopening 25. In practice these shims are frequently of paramagneticmaterial, and the object of using them is to permit the topmost one tobe attractedvby the magnet 30 and held by the same while the lowermosttoken discharges through the opening 25 due to the fact that themagnetic flux at the poles of the magnet is inadequate to hold the same,since the magnetic circuit is substantially completed by the topmostytoken'or shim.

In order to prevent suchfraudulent operation, the present inventionprovides means for tilting l-acoin of predetermined and proper size inthe lthusassuring that the slide may be freely moved and that the tiltedcoin will freely pass into the guide 'sleeve' beneath the verticalmounting plate The aforesaid means in the embodiment shown includes apair of spaced inwardly projecting crimps or fingers 4U extendingradially inward from the edge 4ofthep'oclret I4 and preferably spaced oneither side of the longitudinal center line throughthe pocket I4. Thesefingers or projections 40 may be provided by a number of methods, one ofthe simplest being thatV of crimping or stamping or pinching bodyportions of the slide at'the edge of the pocket I4 so as to cause theextrusion of some of the material in the manner set forth.

"It is'further Vdesirable to form the Vfingers 4D with'an Yangularsurface 4I (Fig. 3), the inclination being'from the edge ofthe pocket I4downwardly toward the center of the pocket, the average inclinationbeing adequate to tilt a proper Acoin of predetermined thickness so thatthe Vright-hand edge portion thereof will be positioned close to theupper planar surface of the slide' I3 without, however, projectingbeyondthis surface.

In Fig. 3 there vare 4shown in dotted lines two shims or fraudulenttokensv42 and 43 in position inthe pocket `I4, and it Will be observedthat the right-hand upper edge "42' of the uppermost coin projectsbeyond the upper face ofthe slide I3 a'distance such that when the slideI3 is movedinwardly this edge portion 42 will abut against an edge 45of' the vertical mounting plate AIIl an'diarrest the movement of'the`slide by virtue ofthe bearing 'engagement of the left-hand edge ofthetopmost coin 42 with 'theleft-hand inner surface portions Aof the pocketI4. In this manner any transportation of the shims Vbeyond the vertical`mountingplate Iis entirely defeated.

Fig, 6 illustrates what 'would happen if the shims 42 and 43 of Fig. 3were'employed'without the safeguard `of the fraud preventive fingers orformations 4I. In such'a "case, the two shims would 'be carried to therear section I2 and the topmost shim 442 would'be attracted and be heldbythe magnet '30 while the lowermost shim 43 would fall through the.discharge opening 25 and fraudulently actuate the controlledinstrumentality, theeld of themagnet beingbridged by the top token 42.and being inadequate to hold thebottom token or being sufficientlyweakened so-that jarring -will cause the lower shim to be dislodged. Amodified .form of the fraud vpreventive p means is disclosed in Fig. l.wherein the inwardly projecting Lformations or ngers are Asituated 'onanopposite side ofthe coin pocket I4 Aand are provided by a pair ofspaced punches 45 disposed on either side of the elongated dog channel38. These punches M5, it will be observed, are made from the bottomsurface of the slide i3 and are calculated to provide an angularlyextending boss similar to the ngers il of Fig. 3 insofar as they serveto tilt a coin in the pocket, in the same general manner as described'inconjunction with Fig. 3. In this instance, however, the tilt is oppositeto that of the structure of Fig. 3, with the result that when two shimsare in the pocket M, inward movement of the slide will be prevented bythe wedging action of the raised edge (now the left-hand upper edgeinstead of the right-hand edge as in the case of Fig. 3) of the topmostshim with the portion 45 of the guide or mounting plate lll.

It will thus be apparent that the invention provides a very simplestructure which is nevertheless highly e'icient for its intendedpurpose, and it will further be apparent that the fraud preventive meansin the form of the tilting ngers 56, as applied to the coin receivingpocket, may be applied to any coin slide of the planar type wherein acoin is normally disposed within the plane of the slide for movement ina guide member, the lingers being eiective to tilt an unauthorized coinor combination of coins or shims, so as to project the edge portionthereof out of the pocket and beyond the plane of the slide for abutmentwith some portion of the guide to prevent further movement of the slide.Moreover, it will be apparent that various changes in form and locationmay be made in the'particular construction described for purpose ofillustration, and it is my intention that all equivalent constructionsand all modications and rearrangements of parts or elements shall beincluded within the call of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin chute including a frame providing a sleeve, a substantiallyflat slide reciprocable in said sleeve and having a coin pocket adaptedto hold a proper coin of predetermined thickness for transport in saidsleeve by the slide said coin being of lesser thickness than said slide,and said pocket having spaced inwardly tilted projections adapted totilt said coin therein without preventing movement of said slide in saidsleeve, such movement being prevented, however, by engagement of thecoin With the frame when the coin or' token in said pocket is of athickness greater than that of said proper coin.

2. A coin chute including a sleeve-like guide, a thin slide reciprocabletherein and having a hole therethrough constituting a coin pocket inwhich a coin may lie substantially in the plane of the slide, anunderlying surface of said guide providing a bottom for said pocket andover which a cointherein moves When said slide is moved, said holehaving means on the edge thereof for tilting a coin therein so as toproject an edge portion of a coin of greater than predeterminedthickness beyond the plane of the slide for engagement with said guideto block movement of said slide.

3. In a device of the class described, a coin slide of substantiallyplanar form and having a coin pocket in Which a coin of predeterminedthickness is adapted to lie within the plane of the slide and meansprojecting inwardly of the pocket to tilt said coin therein withoutprojecting the same beyond the plane of the slide, coin elements ofgreater than predetermined thickness projecting out of said plane, andmeans in said device positioned along th'e path of movement of saidslide and coin pocket and engaged by a projecting coin to preventoperative movement of the slide.

4. A coin slide of the type adapted to reciprocate in a guide sleeve,said slide having a coin pocket adapted to receive a coin ofpredetermined thickness and which will lie therein substantially withinthe plane of the slide, said pocket having a finger formation extendinginwardly from an edge thereof and adapted to tilt said coin thereinwithout exposing the same beyond the plane of said slide, but enough toexpose an edge portion of a second coin or token placed in said pocketupon the first when the aggregate thickness of the two coins or tokensis greater than said predetermined thickness.

5. A coin slide of substantially planar form and having a coin pocket inwhich a coin of predetermined thickness is adapted to lie within theplane of the slide, and means projecting inwardly of the pocket andslanted toward the center of v the same to tilt said coin thereinwithout projecting the same beyond the surface of said slide tointerfere with the movement of the latter.

6. In a device of the class described, a stationary member constitutinga mounting, a movable member carried on said mounting and operable totransport a coin from one position to another thereon, a pocket in saidmovable member and adapted to receive and position a proper coin ofpredetermined thickness so as to lie substantially within the plane ofsaid movable member so as not to obstruct movement of the latterrelative to said mounting, and means on said movable member for tiltingcoin elements in said pocket, coin elements of greater thanpredetermined thickness being in part projected thereby out of the planeof said slide, and means including a part on said mounting arranged tobe engaged by the projected part of a coin element of greater thanpredetermined thickness to prevent eiective movement of said movablemember.

BERNHARD C. GRUNIG.

